Game



Jan. 18, 1938.

INVENTOR MMI/372mm;

BY g 75 ATTORNEY yPatented Jan. 18, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

This invention relates to` game apparatus; and the invention has for its principal object to provide a game board having a novel play indicating means subject to .actuation by the player, said indicating means comprising a pivoted spinner and means cooperative therewith whereby, as the spinner comes to rest after actuation, the same is caused to positively and indubitably register with but one of a plurality of "play instructions with which the game is provided, and which are disposed in surrounding relation to the indicating means. y

`This invention has for a further object to provide in.l combination with a game board, having indicating means as above characterized, in-

terchangeable or detachable game sheets or cards for various games subject to `selective application to and use with the game board and its play indicating means.

* Other objects of this invention, not at this time more particularly enumerated, will'become apparent in the following detailed description of the same.

An illustrative embodiment of this invention is 21S-shown in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. l is a plan View of the novel game board having a game sheet or card applied thereon ready for play; Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional View, taken on line 2-2 inFig. l; and Fig. 3

L-oeis an enlarged fragmentary sectional view showing the details of the play indicating spinner and the stop means cooperative therewith.

Similar characters of reference are employed in the hereinabove described views, to indicate :13 corresponding parts.

Referring to the drawing, the reference character 5 indicates a main body or board, which may,

be of any suitable material, such, for example, as wood, card or paper board, metal, bre, molded 4o condensation product or other molded material,

etc.

Aiiixed to the main body or board 5, in upstanding relation to its upper face, and in any selected suitable location within the area thereof, is a 45 pivot post 6 upon which a metallic spinner 'l is mounted so as to freely revolve `about the same when put in motion. Cooperative with said spinner 'l is a spinner stop means, preferably comprising a plurality of upstanding metallic projections 5G 8, suitably amxed to the board 5, said projections 8 being spaced apart one from another and arranged to form a circular row concentrically surrounding said pivot post 6, and contiguous to the path of movement of said spinner when the 55 latter is revolved upon and about said pivot post,

Either the spinner 'I or said projections 8 are magnetized or made of magnetic material, whereby a mutual magnetic attraction is exerted between the spinner and the given projection to which the active spinner extremity is opposed when coming to rest upon completing the revolving movement imparted thereto. By reason of the attractive magnetic force thus exerted, the spinner, upon completion of its revolving movement, is attracted to and brought into positive aligned registry with some one of the projections 8 and is held stationary relative thereto, free from wavering or displacement by vibration, thus assuring a positive indication or pointing to the particular play instruction which may be correlated with that particular projection 8 and no other. play" indicating means, according to this invention, is positively determinative of the plays governing the performance of the game, as will presently more fully appear. It willbe equally obvious that the novel play indicating means by preventing indeterminate indication, such as would occur were the spinner to come to rest between two play instructions and thus fail to definitely indicate which play is permissible, thereby eliminates necessity for more or less frequent respinning of the spinner, with consequent loss of time and interruption of the interest of the game;

The specific forms of the pivot post 6, spinner 'l and projections 8 are all subject to more or less wide variation in structure. The accompanying drawing shows, by way of illustration, one very satisfactory construction and arrangement thereof, wherein the pivot post 6 is provided with an enlarged supporting base 9 to rest on the top surface of the board 5, and with a riveting shank l of reduced diameter projecting downwardly from its underside for passage through the body of the board 5, soV that its extremity may be riveted over, as at l l, to thus rmly aix the pivot post to the board. At its upper extremity, the pivot post B is provided with a needle point or conical pivot l2. The spinner l, as shown, comprises an elongated metallic bar, preferably shaped in simulation of an arrow, having a pointer end I3 of arrow-head shape and an opposite or tail end lli of suitable design, preferably in simulation of the feathered tail of an arrow. Aiiixed to said spinner bar 1 intermediate its extremities is a bearing hub l5, having a neck i6 of reduced diameter extending through the bar body, and riveted over the underside of the latter, as at Il, to thus aix said bearing hub there- It will be obvious therefore that the novel -tive to the post. Y tue individual elements separately attached to the to. Formed in and extending upwardly from the lower end of said bearing hub I5 is an axial chamber I8, terminating at its upper end in a conical bearing seat I9. When the spinner 'l' is operatively assembled with and upon the pivot post 6, the latter extends upwardly through the bearing hub chamber I8 of the former, so that the conical bearing seat I9 seats itself upon the conical pivot I2 of the post 8. In this manner the spinner 'I is supported upon the post 6 so vas to be capable of free and easy rotation, with a minimum of friction. The upwardly projecting bearing hub I5 of the spinner I likewise serves as a ringer-piece, which may be twisted by the players fingers to impart the desired rotative movement to the spinner. In order to prevent accidental displacement of the spinner from the pivot post, and consequent risk of loss thereof, the post is provided with an annular groove or channel below its conical pivot I2, and threaded through the wall of said spinner bearing hub I5 is a keeper screw 2| having a reduced terminal portion 22 at its inner extremity tor engage in Vsaid groove or channel 20 of the post. It will be obvious that this arrangement will prevent Withdrawal of the bearing hub I 5 from the post 6 without, however, in any way impeding the rotation of the hub rela- The projections 8 may constiboard 5, but preferably, the same may be more conveniently produced and assembled with and fastened to the board 5 when made as integral elements of a'base ring. For example, as shown ,in the drawing a base ring 23 is provided, the

same having in upward extension from one circumferential peripheryV thereof an up-turned ange havinga. plurality of equi-spaced vertical slits or open spaces 24 to thereby divide the sameA so as to form the desired plurality of upstanding circumferentially spaced apart tongues or projections 8, the free end portions of which lie concentric and contiguous to the path of movement described by the pointer end I3 of the spinner 1.

The base ring 23 is imposed upon the top face of the board 5 so as to be concentric to the pivot post 6, and is rsecured in such position by any suitable fastening means, such e. g. as rivets 25.

A game board of suitable design over or upon which playing pieces are movable according to play instructions indicated by the resting position of the spinner 1, may be permanently applied to the upper face of the board 5. In the preferred form of the invention, and to fulfill one' of the objects thereof, separable game cards or sheets 26 are provided, the same having an opening 21 to engage over the indicating means of the board 5, and having a plurality of play instruction panels or indicia 28 corresponding to the projections 8, and adapted to lie exteriorly contiguous thereto and in registry therewith. If

desired the board 5 may be further provided with an yupstanding keeper-peg 29', andthe sheet or card 26 with a corresponding perforation 311 engageable therewith, so as to prevent accidental shifting of the sheet or card as applied to the board for use. Of course, any other means to secure the card or sheet 2S tothe board against accidental displacement or shifting may be employed. A plurality of game sheets 26, designed for a Variety to diiierent types or kinds of games, may be provided for interchangeable use on the board 5. Illustrative of the general character amasser,

of game card or sheet, that shown in the accompanying drawing is designed to provide an air race game, and comprises a geographical map having dierent around the world air routes depicted thereon with indicated stopping points at various places. The instruction indicia 28 of such game indicate various hop distances and the movement of the pieces 3|, representing the airship of the players, is governed by following the instructions indicated for each play, as the players in turn revolve the spinner I and the latter comes to rest in various play indicating positions. If desired, the game sheets or cards may be perforated to provide openings 32 corresponding to various play positions to which the pieces 3l may be moved, and the underlying board 5, in such case, may be correspondingly perforated to provide openings 33 to match the perforations of the various game sheets or cards to be used therewith. Such arrangement permits the use of playing pieces 3l having positioning pins 34 enterable in the openings (i2-33 to secure the said pieces against accidental displacement from the positions to which they are from time to time moved during the course of the game.

In practice it has been found to be preferable to magnetize the spinner bar l, the extremities of which thereby provide portions of denite or xed polarity, in which case the projections 8 may be made of unmagnetized iron or steel.

Since many changes, in addition to those already indicated, may be made in the hereinabove described constructions, and different embodiments of this invention could be made Without departing from the scope thereof as defined in the following claims, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a rlimiting sense.

I claim:--V

l. A play indicating device for games,'comprising a board, a pivot post upstandingly mounted on said board, a spinner bar of magnetized metal having a hollow bearing hub intermediate its ends to rotatively engage over said pivot post for balancing said spinner bar upon the latter for revolution about the axis thereof, a metallic base ring aixed to said board concentric to said pivot post, said base ring having an annular row of fixed upstanding metallic projections spaced apart by intervening air gaps in concentric relation to the axis of said pivot post and adjacent'to the path of revolving movement of said spinner bar extremities.

2. A play indicating device for games, comprising a board, a pivot post upstandingly mounted on said board, a spinner bar of magnetized metal having a hollow bearing hub intermediate its ends to rotatively engage over said pivot post for balancing said spinner bar upon the latter for revolution about the axis thereof, a metallic base ring afhxed to said board concentric to said Ypivot post, said base ring having an annular row of xed upstanding metallic projections springing from its outer periphery, said projections being spaced apart by intervening air gaps in concentric relation to the axis of said pivot post and adjacent to the path of revolving movement of said spinner bar extremities, and means to prevent accidental displacement of said spinner bar bearing hub from said pivot post.

DE WITT V. B. THOMAS. 

